Coventry Telegraph

Electric MINI marks production milestone

- By ENDA MULLEN News Reporter enda.mullen@reachplc.com

THE electric MINI has marked a production milestone after the 11,000th vehicle rolled off the UK production line.

The milestone was reached just before the Oxford plant’s annual summer shutdown.

Premiered in July 2019, during the brand’s 60annivers­ary year, MINI’S first all-electric model is fully integrated into the production process at Oxford, running down the same line as the combustion engine models.

The majority of the engines used by MINIS are produced at BMW’S engine plant in Hams Hall, Warwickshi­re.

Since its launch, more than 3,000 MINI Electric orders have been placed in the UK.

The MINI Electric is the second electrifie­d MINI in the model lineup, joining the MINI Countryman Plug-in Hybrid.

These two models have proved extremely popular in the UK and together account for 19 per cent of worldwide electrifie­d MINI sales.

A quarter of all UK MINI Countryman orders are for the plug-in hybrid version.

David George, director, MINI UK, said “We’re delighted the MINI Electric is such a success in the UK and that our customers love the car as much as we do.

“It’s fantastic to see the growing popularity of electrifie­d vehicles the UK already accounts for nearly a fifth of global MINI Electric and MINI Countryman Plug-in Hybrid sales and we know that demand is increasing.”

Flexibilit­y at Plant Oxford means MINI Electric production can be adjusted according to global demand.

The growth in popularity of electric vehicles means that next year, a third of MINI 3-Door Hatch models built at Plant Oxford is expected to be the fully-electric model.

Peter Weber, managing director, MINI Plant Oxford, said: “Everyone

at Plant Oxford is immensely proud that our hard work integratin­g MINI Electric into the production line is paying off, with the car proving so popular with customers in the UK and around the world.

“As the home of the brand, it gives us huge satisfacti­on to build the first fully-electric car in the MINI product line-up here in Oxford, for global export.”

The original Mini, designed by Sir Alec Issigonis in 1959, was born out of the Suez crisis oil shortage and the demand for affordable motoring.

Priced at £24,900 OTR (including Plug-in Car grant), the MINI Electric takes the brand’s trademark go-kart handling into a new era of electrifie­d driving.

The MINI Electric is one of 13 electrifie­d vehicles the BMW Group currently offers across its brand portfolio.

This will be increased to a total of 25 electrifie­d models on the road by the end of 2023, with more than half of those models fully electric.

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